Seeking a Soul Mate
by authorgirl
Summary: Christine is not seeking a soul mate. She had no time and there is no way she is going to let Erik back into her life. Will she? rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Seeking a Soul Mate by author girl

Christine sat uncomfortably in her office chair her head bent down; her beautiful green eyes strained and beginning to tear. She had been sitting like this for at least 2 hours reading over reports she had written in search of typos. It wasn't easy being a physiologist at the age of 22 at a free walk-in clinic. She was tied now and quickly moving into exhaustion. Today alone she had written 3 reports based on patient notes and had seen 10 patients. Slowly she picked up her heard, brushing a few stray dark brown curls that had escaped the confines of a beret out away from her face with her hand, and glanced at the clock on the wall of her tiny office. It was 8:30 at night. Suddenly a tall woman with honey-colored hair marched into her office. "Christine great you're still here. Do you mind seeing one more patient? Kelly just got out of work and she says she really needs to talk to you."

"No, Amy I don't mind. Send her in thank-you." Kelly who had been waiting in the doorway came in quickly and when Amy left began speaking before Christine could tell her to sit down. "Counselor Daae I'm sorry to come so late. I just didn't know what to do. What am I going to do?"

"Kelly, first slow down and tell me what's wrong? What are you going to do about what?" Christine said softly and calmly.

"I'm sure you want to go home."

"Kelly what's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant, I just found out and my husband just lost his job. What are we going to do?"

"Sit down" Christine replied. It was going to be a long night. She would have to call her childhood and best friend Meg who was also married and pregnant, to tell her that she would be late for their planned girl's night in, Meg's husband, Leo was on a business trip out of town.

It was good for Christine to listen to an endless parade of other peoples problems for many hours at a time. It was good she was able to bury herself in paperwork. It kept her from thinking about her own life. It kept her from thinking about just how much she longed for one person to share her life with, one person who had as much love to give as she did who was willing to give that love to her as she was willing to give it to him, a person to marry and have a family with. It was silly how so many people believed that kind of love would make them happy. She only knew it existed because her grandmother and grandfather she was sure had it. But he died leaving her grandmother alone. Did that kind of love exist in this generation? It didn't matter the bottom line was that in the end love equaled pain. Everyone she loved and trusted left. Her mother died leaving her father and her father left her on the doorstep of her grandparents. The only original people inside her inner circle were her widowed grandmother and Meg. People made a mess of their lives for love; she saw this mess everyday and today was no exception. She had once been silly enough to think she could hold true love, but she had been so wrong. Christine was an avid reader and found true love belonged confined only in the pages of a good book.

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An agitated Erik Desler sat in his seat uncomfortably. Why did this flight feel so excruciatingly long? He knew the entire life story of the man who sat next to him, as he had spoken of his life throughout the flight, and showed no signs of stopping his speech. Erik tried to stretch his long legs; he didn't know how much longer he could endure sitting this way. With a quick hand gesture he motioned over the flight attendant. "Yes Sir, she said.

"Would you mind telling me when we are expected to land?"

"In about ten minutes, sir. Can I get you anything?"

"No thank-you. It had been ages since he had been in the United States and very soon he would be in New York. He closed his eyes and the image of the woman he had traveled all this way for floated into his mind. He felt the corners of his mouth turn upward. She is so beautiful and she is mine. We are meant to be together. He thought to himself.

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An hour later Erik had claimed his bags and his legs still felt like jelly. He was hungry and tired, but all that didn't matter. Food and sleep could wait. He walked to a payphone his pace quick, inserted some coins and quickly dialed. The phone rang for what seemed like forever and finally a female voice said "Hello."

"Meg is that you? It's Erik Destler. Don't hang up. I need to get in touch with Christine. Please, help me.


	2. Chapter 2

Seeking a Soul Mate Chapter 2

Christine approached the house of Meg and her husband, Steven and knocked softly on the door. There was no answer and she waited a few moments before knocking again, a little louder this time. She could hear her friend's soft whispered voice, but could not make out what was being said. She heard no footsteps coming to the door. Before she left her office she made sure to call Meg, to be sure that she still wanted her to come over for their girl's night in. Meg had insisted that she come over no matter what the hour. She did not want to be alone. She hated when her husband went away on business, especially now that she was pregnant and close enough to her due date to be nervous. "Meg are you there." Christine called and knocked once again, still hearing whispered speech though the door. "Meg are you all right?" She was just about to retrieve from her purse, the spare key Meg had given her in case of emergency when the door swung open.

"Hi Christine!" Meg said excitedly, stepping aside for her best friend to enter. She did closing, and locking the door behind her. "I'm so glad you're here, it's been so long since we had a girl's night."

"Meg was standing at the door for the past 10 minuets. I called, I knocked and you didn't answer. Is everything all right? Before Meg could respond Christine continued seeing her friend's white cordless kitchen phone in her left hand. "I guess you were on the phone." She smiled.

"What" Meg asked anxiously?

"You were on the phone."

"Oh, ha yes I was on the phone."

"How is Steven?" "I know he misses you and can't wait to come home."

"What?"

Your husband Meg, you know the man you married. I'm sure he can't wait to come home. You were on the phone with him right? Who else would be calling you at this hour, but a very protective husband?"

"Oh yes, I hate being away from him."

"I know." "How is he?"

"Steven?"

Christine's green eyes widened as she looked at her friend. What is going on? She thought, but did not say out loud. Meg was acting so strangely.

"Yes, Meg, Steven."

"Oh he's fine. I'm sorry Christine I am just so tired. You know how I get when I'm tired."

"Do you want me to go? I told you that if it was too late…

"No" Meg interrupted quickly." No I don't want you to go. Let's just sit down, she said walking very slowly to the Chocolate brown sofa that was in the middle of her living room. Christine followed sitting down next to her. Meg slowly turned so that she was eye to eye with the woman she thought of as her sister. She placed her left hand protectively on her stomach and spoke again. Christine, don't you want a life?

"Meg", she groaned. "You sound like my grandmother. I have a life." How many times do I have to say it?"

"You have work!"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Christine, you are brilliant, I know work is important to you. I understand. I work. I'd being working now if I wasn't on leave, but I have more than work."

I have a life, I have friends, I have an apartment. Christine saw her friend roll her blue eyes. She knew Meg hated that apartment. And yes, I have a job that I love."

"You bury yourself in work and you rent an apartment. Christine don't you want what I have. I don't ask this because I want you to envy me or because I want to brag. I don't ask you this to hurt you, I ask out of love. Don't you want the right person to share your life with, the someone who makes you feel when he looks at you, and wraps his arms around you that everything is all right and will be all right. Don't you want the man you could depend on and count on to be a good father to your children?" That's what I have Christine, that the kind of marriage I have because I married my soul mate. I want the same for you. Can't you see that?

"Yes I can Meg."

"Good" Meg smiled

"I see that you want the best for me, but not all people are meant to be married, to have the kind of life that you have." Meg put up her left hand to signal her friend to stop talking.

"Don't you dare say you are meant to be alone. Christine you are not meant to be alone. I won't hear it!" But to have the love you are destined to have you have to put yourself out there. You will have it no matter what, but you are delaying it by believing you are not meant to have it."

"Oh Meg, please. I don't want it. We all have roles in life. I discovered it is my role to clean up, the messes other people get into when they fall for the wrong person or when they are heartbroken for other reasons, and I am good at it."

"I know you're very good at your job and passionate about helping people, but you can also help yourself. "

"Meg, I do help myself. I'm happy; I don't need a man to be happy."

"What about happier?" You fell in love Christine remember?

"Yes I remember "She whispered.

"What if he came back? What if Erik came back?"

"Meg! He's not coming back. Let it go, please let it go. Christine's soft voice cracked with these words."

"But what if he did? What would you do?"

"Walk away like he did Meg. Walk away like he did."

"I don't believe you."

"This is pointless to discuss because it's not going to happen. I came here to keep you company and to have a stress-free girls night in. So far I'm not feeling stress-free" Christine said forcing herself to laugh. Now what movies do you have for us to watch?

For tonight's much anticipated girls night, I have Must Love Dogs; you've got Mail, Notting Hill, and six episcopes of the TV series Beauty and the Best."

"Let's get started then, it's going to be a long night."

"I have one all cued up." Christine took the remote that had been on the coffee table closeted to her seat on the sofa and pushed pay.

"You know Meg," she said before the film began "I can't help but notice that the movies you got are all romances. Romances with happy endings."


End file.
